MAP COLLECTION

The collection holds ca 24 000 cartographic items and is available through a reference librarian of the Cartography and Geography Reading Room on the 8th floor. The map collection consists of printed and manuscript maps, plans, atlases, charts, globes, aerial maps and satellite images, computer maps, CD-ROM atlases, and digital collections of spatial data. There are maps of the whole world, different regions, individual countries and towns; the main emphasis, however, being on Estonian maps (70%). The collection also comprises new topographic maps of the neighbouring countries: Finland and Latvia 1: 50 000, Russia 1:100 000 or 1:200 000.

Information on the maps of the collection can be found in the online catalogue ESTER. The old maps and town plans are digitised and available in the digital archive DIGAR.

The most valuable parts of the map collection

The collection of 16th-19th century Livonian maps was purchased by the Library from the medical doctor Ilo Käbin in 1998. The collection consists of 52 map sheets that depict the territory of Livonia and that were designed or published by the then best-known cartographers and map publishers. The oldest map originates from 1540. The collection was digitised and two map portfolios were issued on its basis.